Advice? - My Firefighter Nation2024-03-19T02:19:33Zhttps://my.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/advice-2?commentId=889755%3AComment%3A6363627&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noAt your age, I would say go t…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2013-08-26:889755:Comment:63636272013-08-26T13:33:16.482ZJohn Gallagherhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/JohnGallagher
<p>At your age, I would say go to school. Get a degree in fire science. Then hire on somewhere. The reason I say this is that once you start working it becomes easy to put things off. Oh I'll skip class today, i'm tired from that fire last night. When you want to start climbing the career ladder, the degree will be a big advantage.</p>
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<p> JMHO </p>
<p>At your age, I would say go to school. Get a degree in fire science. Then hire on somewhere. The reason I say this is that once you start working it becomes easy to put things off. Oh I'll skip class today, i'm tired from that fire last night. When you want to start climbing the career ladder, the degree will be a big advantage.</p>
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<p> JMHO </p> Hi Alyssa, The best in being…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2013-08-17:889755:Comment:63615082013-08-17T02:42:28.677Zsean lindseyhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/seanlindsey
<p>Hi Alyssa, The best in being hired, is to found out want the Dept. are looking for, then go from there, because then you will know if you need a 4 yr college or most colleges offer fire academy and they will teach you everything you need to know.</p>
<p>Hi Alyssa, The best in being hired, is to found out want the Dept. are looking for, then go from there, because then you will know if you need a 4 yr college or most colleges offer fire academy and they will teach you everything you need to know.</p> I was in your shoes a few yea…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2013-08-16:889755:Comment:63612022013-08-16T02:47:24.791ZBrennanhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/Brennan
<p>I was in your shoes a few years ago. What I would do is this.</p>
<p>Go get your Paramedic. Even if you don't know if you would like it.</p>
<p>Then go get your FF I/II/Hazmat ops/tech and then continue with your degree after that. As soon as your a medic and have your basic FF classes you can start to test. I recommend testing everywhere you can. Even if you don't want to work for that city. You can practice that way and get your test scores up.</p>
<p>Work on your interview skills and stay…</p>
<p>I was in your shoes a few years ago. What I would do is this.</p>
<p>Go get your Paramedic. Even if you don't know if you would like it.</p>
<p>Then go get your FF I/II/Hazmat ops/tech and then continue with your degree after that. As soon as your a medic and have your basic FF classes you can start to test. I recommend testing everywhere you can. Even if you don't want to work for that city. You can practice that way and get your test scores up.</p>
<p>Work on your interview skills and stay in great physical shape. Be ready to get hired and gointo a academy with the physical skills needed to make it through the 12-16 week academy.</p>
<p>You sound like you have the drive, so don't get discuraged if you don't get a job right away. It took me 6 years to finally land a great job! But before that I worked on a voly and worked in a large metro area as a medic gaining great expierence in the years I was testing for a job. </p>
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<p>Good Luck!</p> See if you can find a departm…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2012-10-15:889755:Comment:62644282012-10-15T22:09:19.637ZJay Germanhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/JayGerman
<p>See if you can find a department that caters to college students. Internships are common with several suburbs of Madison Wisconsin. Some internships include: </p>
<p><a href="http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/departments/cityHall/humanResources/FireInternProgram.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/departments/cityHall/humanResources...</a> <a href="http://www.mapleblufffire.com/internship-Program" rel="nofollow">http://www.mapleblufffire.com/internship-Program</a> …</p>
<p>See if you can find a department that caters to college students. Internships are common with several suburbs of Madison Wisconsin. Some internships include: </p>
<p><a href="http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/departments/cityHall/humanResources/FireInternProgram.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/departments/cityHall/humanResources...</a> <a href="http://www.mapleblufffire.com/internship-Program" rel="nofollow">http://www.mapleblufffire.com/internship-Program</a> <a href="http://www.firerecruit.com/job/1348799-FIREFIGHTER-PARAMEDIC-INTERNSHIP" rel="nofollow">http://www.firerecruit.com/job/1348799-FIREFIGHTER-PARAMEDIC-INTERN...</a></p> Hey Alyssa, I just started a…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2012-10-15:889755:Comment:62644422012-10-15T18:47:39.430Zmallory risshttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/malloryriss
<p>Hey Alyssa, I just started a blog to help women pursuing a fire career. It is still a work in progress but maybe itll be of some help. You can e-mail me too if you want and I can give you some advice. The blog is FIREWOMENINFO.WORDPRESS.COM and my email is mtmriss@hotmail.com. Hope to hear from you and good luck!</p>
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<p>Hey Alyssa, I just started a blog to help women pursuing a fire career. It is still a work in progress but maybe itll be of some help. You can e-mail me too if you want and I can give you some advice. The blog is FIREWOMENINFO.WORDPRESS.COM and my email is mtmriss@hotmail.com. Hope to hear from you and good luck!</p>
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<p></p> The academy is the right way…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2011-07-26:889755:Comment:58952492011-07-26T13:05:06.644ZKatina L Phalenhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/KatinaLPhalen
The academy is the right way to go. I mean go to college either online if you want to get your degree in fire science, but if you want to fight fires then you don't need to go to college for that. Take as many classes that you can take right now, even if you don't get credit or all you can do is sit there and watch. I have a Cadet and he goes to every class, but doesn't get credit for it, that way when he turns 18 and takes the class he can whiz right threw it. Oh and speaking girl to girl buck…
The academy is the right way to go. I mean go to college either online if you want to get your degree in fire science, but if you want to fight fires then you don't need to go to college for that. Take as many classes that you can take right now, even if you don't get credit or all you can do is sit there and watch. I have a Cadet and he goes to every class, but doesn't get credit for it, that way when he turns 18 and takes the class he can whiz right threw it. Oh and speaking girl to girl buck up and take things with a grain of salt. You are fixing to enter a forbidden zone and you must be strong and sometimes hard headed. thanks everybody!tag:my.firefighternation.com,2011-07-25:889755:Comment:58918442011-07-25T03:34:37.579ZAlyssa Riane Rinconhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/AlyssaRianeRincon
thanks everybody!
thanks everybody! Usually most fire departments…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2011-04-15:889755:Comment:56284812011-04-15T12:13:41.187ZTyler Lyonshttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/TylerLyons
Usually most fire departments will be sending you through their own accademy. Your priority should be taking some EMS classes, start with EMT-B and if possible, get your paramedic. I belive most california depts hire paramedics over anyone else. The fire portion can be taught by any academy and is generally shorter time frame than paramedic. You will have already picked up some firefighter knowledge with your explorer experience and when your 18 maybe they will let you volunteer there and get…
Usually most fire departments will be sending you through their own accademy. Your priority should be taking some EMS classes, start with EMT-B and if possible, get your paramedic. I belive most california depts hire paramedics over anyone else. The fire portion can be taught by any academy and is generally shorter time frame than paramedic. You will have already picked up some firefighter knowledge with your explorer experience and when your 18 maybe they will let you volunteer there and get you some certificates. As far as knowledge, there are several websites to get you up on some things you want to know. There is a thread on this website about online courses. FEMA and National Fire Academy have many courses that will help you in your journey. Good luck! Most paid fire departments re…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2011-04-15:889755:Comment:56278982011-04-15T07:48:10.625ZPararescuehttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/JasonVanDewater
Most paid fire departments require 60 credit hours in any area to take the exam. And most cities require residency for over a year to get hired on. If you were to go for LAFD, live there for a year before the exam. Personally, I am suggesting you get an A.S. in one of the Homeland Security areas.
Most paid fire departments require 60 credit hours in any area to take the exam. And most cities require residency for over a year to get hired on. If you were to go for LAFD, live there for a year before the exam. Personally, I am suggesting you get an A.S. in one of the Homeland Security areas. My advice first and foremost…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2011-04-15:889755:Comment:56278632011-04-15T03:29:41.249ZJohn Crabbehttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/JohnCrabbe
My advice first and foremost is don't forget to be a kid. You are going into your senior year and the time will go fast, don't become so focused on worrying about becoming a firefighter you forget to enjoy your last year of high school. So what I mean here is if there are some fire classes available, don't feel compelled to take them and subsequently miss out on being a kid.<br />
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Yes, there are avenues to pursue to land a job, but are you so set on just firefighting that you won't consider anything…
My advice first and foremost is don't forget to be a kid. You are going into your senior year and the time will go fast, don't become so focused on worrying about becoming a firefighter you forget to enjoy your last year of high school. So what I mean here is if there are some fire classes available, don't feel compelled to take them and subsequently miss out on being a kid.<br />
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Yes, there are avenues to pursue to land a job, but are you so set on just firefighting that you won't consider anything else? What other interests do you have? Is a 4 year college a better move or would a tech school be better? What about paramedic? Have you considered other options like the military? What type of goals do you have AFTER you may get hired? Where do you see yourself 5, 10, 20 years down the road? These are questions you should look into as well.<br />
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So college or academy? Well, which one will give you more options? Are you sure the academy certs would transfer around the country if you sought employment elsewhere? Is a college degree considered a requirement if looking to promote or even get preference points? How about paramedic?<br />
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If you can see, my advice here is not about telling you what to do, but instead to look inside yourself to make the decision on your own. You need to weigh the pros and cons. A college degree will help with promotion, shows you are dedicated to completing something, and can give preference points for a job. You are typically on your own for those few years and should be more mature when seeking a job. One can also obtain fire certs while attending college, but a degree can open more doors than certs alone. The military route shows you are willing to serve and also shows you can understand discipline, chain of command, etc, which is why most vets stand above other candidates. Paramedic is a huge cert to have and many depts are asking for this or giving preference to medics.<br />
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If you truly want to be a firefighter, you should understand you may have to go somewhere besides the hometown dept. I have seen many who would hold out for one dept and never get hired.<br />
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For me, I looked into a Co-Op job during my senior year where I would get HS credits for working. The job I had was full time and I did miss out on my senior year. At the time I didn't think it would matter and was looking ahead, but I found I did regret missing out. I pursued the military route and did 5 years in the Navy as a firefighter. I got out and worked a year for a fire equipment distributor waiting for a spot to open at a tech school. I went to college the next fall doing an academy while working on my associates degree. I also interned as a firefighter/EMT as a live in intern for a local dept. After graduation I worked towards other certs to help my resume and pursued my paramedic cert. During schooling I applied to numerous depts and tested all over and gained testing experience. In the end I was offered several jobs.